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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1483671

Nested Case-Control Study Investigating Factors Affecting Initial Adoption of HIV Self-Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Guangzhou, China: Amidst Comprehensive Service Coverage

Provisionally accepted
Yuzhou Gu Yuzhou Gu 1*Jiali Yang Jiali Yang 1,2Yefei Luo Yefei Luo 1Lishan Zhan Lishan Zhan 1*Fanghua Liu Fanghua Liu 1*Wenting Zeng Wenting Zeng 3*Huifang Xu Huifang Xu 1,4*Yongheng Lu Yongheng Lu 5*Yanshan Cai Yanshan Cai 1Zhigang Han Zhigang Han 1*
  • 1 Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
  • 2 Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
  • 3 Huangpu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
  • 4 Guangzhou Association of STD & AIDS Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, China
  • 5 Lingnan Partner Community support Center, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: China has been exploring HIV self-testing (HIVST) among men who have sex with men (MSM) since 2014. Currently, both non-profit and commercial initiatives HIVST services have achieved comprehensive coverage. Investigating the factors influencing the initial adoption of HIVST among MSM in this context can help develop tailored HIVST service strategies of and further promote HIVST adoption among MSM communities. Methods: We selected 230 participants from a prospective cohort on HIV infection among MSM population in Guangzhou, China, who had no prior experience of HIVST. Among, 43 who initially adopted HIVST during the follow-up period were designated as the case group, while the rest comprised the control group. Electronic questionnaires were used for baseline and follow-up surveys to collect demographic information, sexual behavior characteristics and HIVST utilization in the past 6 months. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze the factors influencing the initial adoption of HIVST. Results: Among the study participants, 18.7% (43/230) initially adopted HIVST during the follow-up period. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals who primarily sought sexual partners through offline venues in the past 6 months (aOR=5.28, 95% CI: 1.01–27.79), had more than one sexual partner in the past 6 months (aOR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.33–5.74), engaged with more than two casual partners in the past 6 months (aOR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.35–6.78), or had more than one regular partner (aOR=3.37, 95% CI: 1.51–7.51) exhibited an increased likelihood of initiating HIVST. Conclusion: In the context of comprehensive promotion and coverage of HIVST service, the development of personalized, adaptable, and innovative HIVST strategies for MSM with a higher number of sexual partners, particularly those in regular partnerships and those seeking partners offline, may further increase the adoption of HIVST among MSM.

    Keywords: self-testing, HIV, Men who have sex with men, Guangzhou, nested case-control

    Received: 20 Aug 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gu, Yang, Luo, Zhan, Liu, Zeng, Xu, Lu, Cai and Han. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yuzhou Gu, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 510440, China
    Lishan Zhan, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 510440, China
    Fanghua Liu, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 510440, China
    Wenting Zeng, Huangpu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
    Huifang Xu, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 510440, China
    Yongheng Lu, Lingnan Partner Community support Center, Guangzhou, China
    Zhigang Han, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 510440, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.